The 2007 Shakertown Roundtable, held Sept. 28 and 29 at Kentucky’s Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, focused on ideas for improving early childhood education and how those improvements could boost economic development in the state. Business, education and community leaders from around the state discussed the relationship between early education and Kentucky’s economic health –– and how the public and private sectors can work together to improve both.

A one-hour KET documentary featuring excerpts from the discussion and reflections by the participants airs Thursday, Nov. 15 at 10/9 p.m. CT on KET1 and Tuesday, Nov. 20 at 8/7 p.m. CT on KET2. KET’s Bill Goodman hosts. Complete coverage of the conference is available online at www.ket.org/shakertown.

Highlights include Roundtable chairman Robert Clay’s opening remarks about the effects of early childhood education on economics, and former U.S. Sen. Bill Bradley’s keynote address on the state of American politics and what it will take to reawaken idealism and activism.

Shakertown Roundtable is produced by Goodman and directed by Carl Babcock. More information about KET programming and education services, as well as how to support KET, can be found at www.ket.org.